I say potential, because it all depends upon enough teams expressing enough interest

For the past few years, the main events on the circuit have been the “Hardy” competition and the “Peregrine” competition. There has also been the Welsh Water event, but it was always going to be difficult to see that one going ahead with all of the cutbacks in the Welsh Water Company. This season it has been announced that “Airflo” are to sponsor a new competition based on teams of four anglers. Potentially it is providing the winning team with a prize of £10,000 and an overall prize fund of one hundred thousand pounds. I say potential, because it all depends upon enough teams expressing enough interest. This competition is going to differ from others in that any legal fly will be allowed. The sponsors say that they are including this rule in an effort to encourage “ordinary” anglers who don’t like to have a restriction on the size of fly that they use. I have a feeling that this may work in reverse, as I for one am unsure about fishing in a boat with someone “winging out” size two leaded longshanks!Anglian Water is also introducing a new competition but this one is an individual event. They have stated in their promotional brochure that there is a guaranteed prize of £5000! It all looks pretty good for the competition fellow…but is it?Rumour has it that a good number of teams are not going into the “Hardy” this year. There are a variety of reasons for this, the main ones being that even if you get through to the international final, you will have to cough up for your boat – that is something that has always been included in the price! Also, in my area, Chew is not being used as a venue this year, instead, teams will have to revert to heats on Wimbleball Lake on the edge of Exmoor. This is a venue which has always invoked controversy! There are no motors on boats at this lake, hence on rough days, a great effort is required to move around the lake. Wimbleball is also very high up on the moors and takes a long time to warm up compared with the lakes that most of the anglers in this area are used to, so the fishing is often hit and miss.Personally I love the lake as I feel that the rowing alone puts many other anglers off going too far, thus if you are prepared to row and you have a partner who is not lazy, you can usually get some quiet water somewhere on the lake. The birdlike around the lake is also extraordinary. If you are observant you will surely see pied flycatchers, and on many trips I have seen peregrines. Buzzards will certainly be seen and heard.

I will be meeting up with members of my team this week, so I will know what events we are going to be committed to and I will keep you all in the picture. I have agreed to help my friend John Horsey with the “Peregrine/Nomad” again this year, so I won’t be able to fish in that one myself! Let us know at the magazine what your thoughts are regarding the events that I have talked about – it is good to get feedback on these issues.